Toymaker's Pet (Dark Star Doms Book 2)

by Ivy Barrett

Come on, you vile bastard, take the bait!

  “It shouldn’t take long to earn his trust.” Bryce did her best to sound casual. “I’m a simple test subject after all. He has no reason to suspect me.”

  “We’d use a code phrase to let me know you had everything in place.” He crossed the cabin and opened a compartment near the door. “Wait. My voiceprint is on file with Halley Prime. You’ll have to speak with Fraun.”

  “I’ll wish him a happy birthday. Surely that wouldn’t seem suspicious.”

  “But who is he?” Akim retrieved a sleek metal case and returned to the bed. “According to your file, you have no relatives.”

  She stared at the case he held, dread knotting her belly. Of their own volition, her feet slid together and her legs pressed into a snug seal. Why did he have the stimulator out? He’d already punished her and worked through his anger. Hadn’t he? Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she tried to sound calm and conversational. “As you suggested, I told Matthias about the group home. I’ll claim I met Fraun there and have remained in contact with him over the years.”

  He laughed. His gaze cold and mocking. “Aren’t you glad I’m so clever? We can’t let the Toymaker know how worthless you really are.”

  The fact her parents had sold her never failed to amuse Akim. The lie had come naturally for Bryce. She’d considered her parents dead for many years.

  He was quiet for a long time. Bryce was afraid to breathe. If she cooperated with Matthias, would he agree to help her escape? Could he remove the thrall collar without detonating the charge?

  “One week, no more.”

  “What if I can’t arrange it that quickly? I don’t know what this project entails.”

  He scowled, stroking his beard as he contemplated her question. “If you can’t accomplish this in a week, you’ll abandon the mission and return to me.” Opening the case on the bed beside her, he efficiently assembled the device.

  She looked at the stimulator, bile rising into the back of her throat. “How have I failed you? I did everything you asked.” The stimulator would take her to the edge of orgasm again and again but never let her attain release. It was Akim’s favorite punishment.

  “You haven’t failed me, kausha. I just need to watch you writhe. If you wish Fraun a happy birthday, I’ll expect you and the Toymaker at nightfall. If you ask Fraun if his wife has delivered their child, I’ll be ready for you alone. Now part your thighs.”

  She averted her face, hiding her fury. He needed to believe she was defeated, malleable, his to command. He could still refuse to send her. Opening her legs, he restrained her ankles then turned his attention to the stimulator’s case. He clamped her nipples with separate triggers. She clenched her teeth. The tiny pinch was nothing compared to the sensations soon to follow.

  “Tell me about Matthias. Was he young or old?”

  “Don’t do this, sir.” She hated the panic in her voice and the weakness it revealed. “You don’t need to motivate me. I’ll tell you everything.”

  “I know you will.” He clamped her clit. She cried out, twisting her hips and tugging against the restraints. “Young or old?”

  “Younger than I expected.” She panted, each breath increasing the pressure on her nipples. Desolate and alone, she braced for the agony, wondering how long it would take to appease his demons this time.

  “Did you want him to fuck you?”

  She closed her eyes, trembling. Anything she said would only provoke him.

  “You want him still, don’t you?” He sneered. “I can see it in your eyes.”

  Her eyes were closed!

  Akim activated the stimulator. Bryce whimpered, tears escaping the corners of her eyes.

  “If you would only learn to please me, I wouldn’t be forced to punish you.”

  Chapter Four

  Bryce tossed on her thin cushion, suspended between wakefulness and dreams. Vivid copper eyes haunted her, mocking her with their indifference, while warm hands moved over her exhausted body, soothing her, comforting her ravaged senses. It had been so long since anyone touched her with tenderness. She craved the simple luxury of gentleness.

  Fear flowed into her sleep-muddled brain. Why was she afraid? The emotion intensified, penetrating her mind, vibrating her empathic receptors. A low moan drew her attention to the bed. Akim tossed, muttering incomprehensible phrases as his arms batted away imagined assailants.

  Another nightmare. She heaved a ragged sigh and watched him writhe. For three ruthless hours he’d kept her in agony, stimulating her senses until she wept for release. His demons had been stubborn tonight. Echoes of the painful tension still gripped her core. Her clit felt raw and swollen. Her breasts ached.

  “No!” Devastation tore through the word, a blast of emotion amplifying the sound. Goose bumps broke out on her arms, and her heart lurched. It had been months since Akim had had a nightmare. She’d begun to hope he’d finally conquered them.

  When she was fourteen, Fahbit had summoned her from the harem to disperse his son’s emotional torment. Bryce could still remember the pleading expectancy in Fahbit’s eyes and the pathetic creature she’d been instructed to tend.

  Huddled in the corner of his chamber with his knees drawn up to his chest, Akim had rocked rhythmically, his eyes vacant and wild. A servant warned that the prince hadn’t been right since his “rescue” eleven weeks before. Bryce hadn’t been told anything else about the young man she was expected to comfort.

  Another pathetic moan rent the night, dragging Bryce from her memories. Let the bastard rot. He’d certainly enjoyed her suffering. Dim lights illuminated the cabin. Akim was terrified of the dark. Contorted with fear, his face was hardly recognizable.

  Emotions bombarded her, driving the breath from her lungs and constricting her throat. Terror, anguish, fury and utter devastation.

  “Bryce,” he cried. “Don’t leave me!”

  He sprang up in bed and grabbed the chain attached to her collar. She resisted the pull, bracing her feet against the edge of the bed. “No!” she shouted. “Not tonight. You’ll get no comfort from me.”

  Scrambling to the foot of the bed, he grabbed her hair with one hand and her arm with the other, dragging her onto the mattress. Pain seared her scalp. Tears swam before her eyes. She screamed in fury and fear, striking out at him blindly. He swept her beneath him, his heavy body holding her down. His mouth crushed hers, his tongue plunging deep. Stunned and disoriented, she groaned, shoving against his chest. His emotions assailed her. Her head pounded and her stomach heaved.

  His hands moved over her naked body, cupping her breasts and parting her thighs. He rocked his hips, grinding his crotch against her mound. His mouth moved hungrily, his tongue stabbing deep. As he rubbed against her, suspicion spread through Bryce. She concentrated on the press of his body—no bulge, no ridge, it was almost as if—

  “Make it stop,” he sobbed. “Make them stop!”

  Desperate to end his bizarre attack, she took his face between her hands and absorbed his misery. A moan escaped her as grief inundated her being.

  His chest heaved. His face nestled against her shoulder. He wrapped her in his arms, rolling them to their sides. Stroking her hair, he feathered kisses over her face as she dispersed his emotions.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered after a long strained silence. “I’m so sorry.”

  “You can’t…control the dreams.” She tried to disentangle their limbs, but he wouldn’t let her go.

  “That’s not what I meant. I had no reason to punish you again. I already…” He licked his lips, his dark gaze searching her face. “What I’m about to tell you must never pass your lips. Do you understand?”

  She nodded, still shaky from the massive dispersal.

  “I know you want your freedom, but as I am now, the only way I can maintain my sanity is to keep you with me.”

  All it cost her was her dignity, her happiness, her soul. “The dreams come less frequently. There is hope—”

 
“My only hope lies with the Toymaker.” He tucked her hair behind her ear. She flinched away from his touch. “Have you never wondered why I don’t fuck you?”

  “It’s not my place to question such things.”

  He chuckled. “But you have wondered?”

  “Of course.”

  “What conclusions have you drawn?”

  Swallowing around the lump in her throat, she turned her face away. “You…”

  “Speak freely.”

  “I thought perhaps you are struggling with your true sexual orientation.”

  He cupped her breast, drawing her attention back to him. “As often as I finger you and feast on your pussy, you can wonder about my sexual orientation? What else have you thought?”

  “That you desire women, but your body will not cooperate.”

  “That is far closer to the truth.” He tilted her head up until their gazes locked. “During my captivity, I was tortured, repeatedly raped, then finally mutilated.”

  Pity slammed into her chest. Resentment pushed it away. She pressed her hand over her thundering heart. No wonder he had nightmares. She opened her mouth to speak, but he placed his fingers against her lips.

  “The last was done in stages. First they took my cock and then one of my balls. If my father’s men had found me one day later, I would have been completely useless to the empire. It would have been their duty to slit my throat.”

  “You want the Toymaker to…reconstruct what those animals took from you?”

  He nodded. “As well as pleasure ’bots, the Toymaker has developed a full line of sexual enhancement implants. Combining the two concepts, I’m confident he can make me whole again.” She sat, drawing her knees to her chest. He stroked down her spine. “Don’t you see, kausha? When I am whole again, I know the dreams will leave me. I will be able to release these pent-up emotions and feel like a man again.”

  “Why not contact him directly and explain the situation?”

  He grasped her upper arm, turning her to face him. “My enemies are everywhere. Father went to great lengths to ensure no one knew what was done to me. An emasculated leader is no leader at all. The reconstruction must be done in secret.”

  She said nothing. Understanding made his cruelty easier to bear, but it didn’t erase the sting of his lash or the countless times he’d abused her with toys or subjected her to the stimulator.

  “Once the Toymaker repairs the damage, I will release the collar and set you free.”

  She didn’t believe him, but what choice did she have? This was as close to escape as he’d ever allowed her to come.

  “It is within my right to command this of you.” His voice grew cold and distant again, their momentary affinity gone. “I suspect you are contemplating escape. Know this. If you slip through my grasp before I am made whole, I will dedicate my life to finding you.”

  * * * * *

  Thorne smiled as Bryce approached the main entrance to the Dark Star the following morning. She hadn’t realized he was capable of the expression. “Good morning. Would you please let Matthias know I’m here?”

  He pointed at the travel bag in her hand. “What’s in the luggage?”

  “None of your business,” she said with a sweet smile.

  Unclipping a portable scanner from his belt, he passed it over her body, circled her neck then scanned the bag. “Why’d you run away from me yesterday?” Solar shields concealed his eyes, masking his expression. Though mild annoyance reached her receptors, he was doing a credible job of suppressing his emotions. Had he learned she was empathic? “I’m here to protect you, doll. I wouldn’t hurt you even if you wanted me to.”

  “No, you’d refer me to one of the Masters.” Between the stimulator and Akim’s nightmare, she had gotten little sleep the night before. She really didn’t have the patience for Thorne’s infatuation. He returned the scanner to his belt. “Are you going to let me in or not?”

  He stepped closer and lowered his solar shields, meeting her gaze over the top edge. “That’s my question for you.”

  “You work in a brothel, Thorne. Surely you can find someone willing to—”

  “For the right price, they’re all willing.” He pushed the shields back into place. “This isn’t why I came after you yesterday. Petra wants to talk to you.”

  “Who is Petra?”

  “The proprietress.”

  Bryce rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to ignore the pressure building behind her eyes. “My business is with Matthias, not the proprietress.”

  “You’re not getting back to the lift until you’ve spoken with Petra.”

  “Tell Matthias I’m here now or you’ll have to explain to him why his new assistant just left.”

  His meaty hand closed around her upper arm and he dragged her into the lobby. “I don’t answer to the Toymaker.”

  “Get your paws off me!” She jerked against his hold and stomped on his instep.

  Without breaking stride, he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. Her breath whooshed out as her belly collided with solid muscle and her travel bag dropped to the floor. Shit! He skirted the entertainment floor and headed down a private hallway. Each step he took drove his shoulder into her gut. Lights danced before her eyes.

  At the foot of a narrow staircase, he set her down. “Are you going to behave? Petra just wants to talk to you.”

  She couldn’t summon the lift without this thug, so she begrudgingly nodded. He motioned her up the stairs and knocked on the nondescript door. A panel in the wall flipped around and scanned his face. The lock released and Thorne opened the door, motioning Bryce inside.

  A lavish office spread before her. She took two steps into the spacious room and heard the door slide closed behind her. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed a stunning cityscape while a surveillance grid took up the adjacent wall. There were certainly no secrets in the Dark Star. Even the private training rooms were monitored.

  “It’s intoxicating, isn’t it?” A well-modulated contralto drew Bryce’s attention to the woman seated behind a transparent desk. Immaculately attired in a lavender suit, the woman had sleek, shoulder-length hair and thick-lashed eyes that perfectly matched her clothing.

  Bryce didn’t reply to the question. The woman carefully guarded her expression, but wary calculation emanated from her. Matthias had made it clear Bryce would be working for him, not the Dark Star. Was he at odds with this woman?

  “Why have you detained me?” Bryce remained near the door.

  “As you can see, I like to be aware of everything that transpires within my establishment. Matthias failed to inform me of his intentions to hire an assistant. I need to be sure you pose no security risk to the Dark Star.”

  “I will have no interaction with anyone at the Dark Star.”

  One purple eyebrow arched in silent challenge. “How do you intend to accomplish that?”

  She raised her travel bag. “By remaining below for the duration of the project.”

  Petra scowled. Her suspicion cold and constant now. “What is the nature of the project?”

  “I’ll not be given any information until I’ve been confined.”

  “You’re going to allow him to imprison you in that subterranean lair?” Petra pushed back from her desk and stood. “What has he promised you?”

  “None of this is your concern. I’ll be working for Matthias.”

  Petra approached Bryce, lavender eyes intent, speculative. “If you’re in this for the money—”

  “My motivations are my own. I’ll not spy for you.”

  “Why not? Do you feel sorry for that emaciated old man?”

  Bryce narrowed her gaze. Matthias had been trim, perhaps even lithe, but emaciated? As for age, who could tell anyone’s real age anymore?

  A sly smile curved Petra’s mouth. “Describe the man who conducted your interview.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I suspect they’re playing games with you already.”

  Crossing her arm
s over her chest, Bryce stared at Petra. Matthias had mentioned a business partner, but he’d refused to explain. Would this woman be more forthcoming? “Curly dark hair, unusual copper-colored eyes. He was lean but certainly not emaciated.”

  “And he claimed to be the Toymaker?”

  Bryce couldn’t remember if he’d introduced himself or not. She’d presumed he was Matthias, and he’d never corrected the misconception. “The man I described is not the Toymaker?”

  “You described Slade. He’s a surgeon Matthias recruited when he launched his line of sexual implants six years ago. Matthias designs the toys and Slade installs them. It doesn’t sound like they trust you, sweetheart.”

  “They have no reason to trust me.” Knowing she’d been duped chafed. Still, she suppressed any outward reaction. If Slade performed the actual procedures, who did Akim really need? “I’ve yet to prove myself.”

  “How noble. Why don’t you see how long Slade pretends to be Matthias?” Petra strolled back to her desk. “If you get tired of being toyed with, contact Thorne. Tell him to give you an audiocom. I’ll generously reward you for any information you’re willing to share.”

  * * * * *

  Slade turned from the surveillance feed with a frustrated hiss. “That wily bitch.” Tapping into the Dark Star’s security system allowed them to view any of the rooms above at any time.

  Matthias’ chuckle dissolved into a deep, congested cough. Slade knew better than to rush to his side. Matthias would scowl and berate him for “hovering”. Still, it wasn’t easy for Slade to watch his best friend fade away before his eyes.

  “Petra knows we’re up to something, and it’s driving her crazy.” Matthias maneuvered his chair to the small coolerater and retrieved a bottle of Sustain. The potent mixture of natural and synthesized nutrients was all his fragile body could digest. “She’s planted seeds of doubt in our delightful little assistant. We can’t allow them to germinate.”

  “If I conveniently reveal my deception the moment she steps off the lift, won’t that seem suspicious?”

  “Not at all. You told Bryce the details would be explained if she returned today. Once you’ve executed the contract, I’ll introduce myself.”